paraffin

paraffin
    n 1: from crude petroleum; used for candles and for preservative
         or waterproof coatings [syn: {paraffin}, {paraffin wax}]
    2: a series of non-aromatic saturated hydrocarbons with the
       general formula CnH(2n+2) [syn: {methane series}, {alkane
       series}, {alkane}, {paraffin series}, {paraffin}]
    3: (British usage) kerosine [syn: {paraffin}, {paraffin oil}]
    

Paraffin \Par"af*fin\ (p[a^]r"[a^]f*f[i^]n), Paraffine
\Par"af*fine\ (p[a^]r"[a^]f*f[i^]n or p[a^]r"[a^]f*f[=e]n), n.
   [F. paraffine, fr. L. parum too little + affinis akin. So
   named in allusion to its chemical inactivity.] (Chem.)
   A white waxy substance, resembling spermaceti, tasteless and
   odorless, and obtained from coal tar, wood tar, petroleum,
   etc., by distillation. It is used in candles, as a sealing
   agent (such as in canning of preserves), as a waterproofing
   agent, as an illuminant and as a lubricant. It is very inert,
   not being acted upon by most of the strong chemical reagents.
   It was formerly regarded as a definite compound, but is now
   known to be a complex mixture of several higher hydrocarbons
   of the methane or marsh-gas series; hence, by extension, any
   substance, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous, of the same
   chemical series; thus gasoline, coal gas and kerosene consist
   largely of paraffins.
   [1913 Webster +PJC]

   Note: In the present chemical usage this word is spelled
         paraffin, but in commerce it is commonly spelled
         paraffine.
         [1913 Webster]

   {Native paraffin}. See {Ozocerite}.

   {Paraffin series}. See {Methane series}, under {Methane}.
      [1913 Webster]
    

63 Moby Thesaurus words for "paraffin":
      alcohol, avgas, benzine, briquette, burnable, butane, carbon,
      charcoal, coal, coal oil, coke, combustible, crude, crude oil,
      dope, electricity, ethane, ethanol, ethyl, ethyl gas, fireball,
      firing, flammable, flammable material, fossil oil, fuel,
      fuel additive, fuel dope, gas, gas carbon, gasoline, heptane,
      hexane, high-octane gas, high-test, illuminant, illuminating gas,
      inflammable, inflammable material, isooctane, jet fuel, kerosene,
      lead-free gas, light source, low-lead gas, luminant, methane,
      methanol, motor oil, natural gas, octane, oil, peat, pentane,
      petrol, petroleum, premium gas, propane, propellant, regular,
      rock oil, rocket fuel, turf